Pipe-pulling tool



March 26, 1968 w H, BLAK$HER 3,375,034

PIPE-PULLING TOOL Filed Nov. 5, 1966 IN V EN TOR.

lVl'l/l'am Ii Blacks/Jar United States Patent 3,375,034 PIPE-PULLING TOOL William H. Blaeksher, Mineral Wells, Tex. (R0. Box 42, Garner, Tex. 76842) Filed Nov. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 591,736 5 Claims. ((31. 29486.24)

This invention relates to various pipe removing devices and more particularly a pipe-pulling tool.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a pipe-pulling tool which is predominantly designed to aid oil drillers to facilitate pulling out of broken or damaged pipes, or pipe that has been cut by mechanical means or acetylene cutting. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a pipepulling tool which is activated by radio signals emitted from a transmitter.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pipepulling tool wherein said radio signals activate the intake and exhaust valves within said tool to facilitate most efiicient operation of said tool.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pipe-pulling tool which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, may be reasonably sold, is of rugged construction, is easy to operate, requires very little maintenance, and provides utility to its users.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

The drawing is the sole view of the invention shown partly broken away.

According to this invention, pipe-pulling tool is provided with a cylindrical head member 11 which terminates at a threaded portion 12 designed to snugly secure said tool to a pipe removal apparatus (not shown). An antenna 13 extends outwardly to member 11 and threaded portion 12 for relaying radio signals emitted by a transmitter, to a radio receiver 14 secured within member 11. A radio-controlled intake and exhaust valve 15 is secured to the bottom portion of the receiver 14 which valve is designed to fully cooperate with the aforesaid radio signals in a known manner. A high pressure air cylinder 16 is suitably positioned within friction grips 18 which assumes a configuration of next to each other positioned air tire-like members. Said friction grips 18 is made of resilient material which is capable to expand or collapse in accordance with the supply or removal of pressurized air emitted to the air channel 17. Said channel is secured to the inside wall portion of cylinder 16 and is capable of direct communication with the radio-controlled intake and exhaust valve 15. The bottom portion of friction grips 18 and cylinder 16 is secured to the centering cone 19.

It will also be noted that, in operation, tool 10 is inserted into a damaged or broken pipe. A radio or any other activating signal is transmitted into the receiver 14 commanding the activation of valve 15. Said valve introduces the pressurized air into the hollow, tire-like portions of friction grips 18, thereby expanding it in lateral directions. This causes the outer walls of friction grips 18 to snugly abut and provide frictional grasping means on the inside surfaces of a broken or damaged pipe (not shown). Then the threaded portion 12 of head member 11 is suitably received within a removal apparatus which facilitates the actual pulling out of the pipe from the ground. When it is desired to remove tool 10 from the inside of a broken or damaged pipe, antenna 13 receives a commanding signal reactivating valve 15 to start removal or exhaust of air within the friction grips 18, thereby collapsing it and facilitating easy removal of said tool from the interior of a broken pipe.

What I now claim is:

1. A pipe-pulling tool comprising, in combination, a head member having a hole therein, a radio receiver within said hole, an elongated cylinder extending downwardly from the bottom portion of said head member and cooperating with said hole, an intake and exhaust valve secured to the bottom portion of said receiver and electronically activated by it, an elongated air channel unit having a plurality of perforations therein secured within said cylinder, friction grips comprising a manifold encloa ing said air cylinder and being adapted to expand and collapse in accordance with the supply of air and withdrawal thereof through perforations of said channel unit activated by said valve, and a centering cone secured to the bottom portion of said friction grip units and said air cylinder.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the upper half of said head member is suitably threaded for providing means to removably secure said head member to a pulling apparatus.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein, an outwardly extending antenna is secured to said receiver for receiving electric signals emitted by .a transmitting device.

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein, said manifold includes a plurality of air pockets, each pocket being of a tire-like format, and said manifold being made of resilient material.

5. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said cone being provided with a cylindrical hole to threadingly receive the bottom portion of said air cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,826,445 3/1958 Tidland 294-99 X 3,052,494 9/1962 Williamson 294-93 3,154,337 10/1964 Walker 294- 3,233,315 2/1966 Levake 29493 X 3,355,792 12/1967 Cunningham 294-93 X ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PIPE-PULLING TOOL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATON, A HEAD MEMBER HAVING A HOLE THEREIN, A RADIO RECEIVER WITHIN SAID HOLE, AN ELONGATED CYLINDER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID HEAD MEMBER AND COOPERATING WITH SAID HOLE, AN INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVE SECURED TO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID RECEIVER AND ELECTRONICALLY ACTIVATED BY IT, AN ELONGATED AIR CHANNEL UNIT HAVING A PLURALITY OF PERFORATIONS THEREIN SECURED WITHIN SAID CYLINDER, FRICTION GRIPS COMPRISING A MANIFOLD ENCLOSING SAID AIR CYLINDER AND BEING ADAPTED TO EXPAND AND COLLAPSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SUPPLY OF AIR AND WITHDRAWAL THEREOF THROUGH PERFORATIONS OF SAID CHANNEL UNIT ACTIVATED BY SAID VALVE, AND A CENTERING CONE SECURED TO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID FRICTION GRIP UNITS AND SAID AIR CYLINDER. 